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Bold stripes and railroad prints are a big staple this season. When wearing this trend remember horizontal stripes stretch out your shape and will make you appear wider and shorter. Vertical strips on the other hand make your shape appear long and Lean; prints in a wider stripe appear bolder than a demure small stripe. Wear this trend in skirts, pants, shirts, blazers, bags, and accessories, anything really. Here’s some ideas to pulling off this trend without looking like a jail-bird:

The Skinny Leg Pant: They’re slimming, they’re elongating, they’re punk and pretty all wrapped into one cute pair of pants. Always wear pants in a vertical stripe, this will, again, make you look longer than when wearing horizontal stripes. When wearing a wider stripe like the pants pictured, stick to solid colors for the rest of the outfit. But when using a thinner stripe all bets are off. Thin stripes are so demure you can basically wear it as a neutral. Try using it with other complementing patterns or floral which are really big this season.

Skirts:When wearing a pencil skirt the same rules apply as when wearing pants. Vertical stripes work best. But when wearing an A-Line skirt like the one pictured zig-zag or diagonal patterns are great. Keep the rest of your outfit in solid colors.

Tops: T-shirts, Tanks, Button downs, tube tops, and halters. There are so many tops that use stripes. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal or zig-zag, bold stripes or thin stripes there are so many to choose from. Lose fitting in neon colors are my favorite for tanks, while red and white stripes have a nautical theme. Play with colors and stripe patterns until you find what works for you. The top pictured is actually a body suit which works great for pants that require a tucked in shirt.

Dresses: Stripe widths and patterns depend on your body type in dresses.Boyish: If you’re tall and narrow try using a combination of different stripes to create instant curvesBusty: If your bigger on top, try a dress with thin stripes or dresses that have a solid color on top and strips on the bottom to draw the eyes away from the chest area.Curvy: Zig-zag or diagonal stripes flawlessly flatter an hourglass figure.Pear Shaped: Horizontal stripes on top and verticals on the bottom are a great body-balancer and create curves in the right places.

Blazers and Jackets: Can be used in any stripe pattern or color. Make your blazer or jacket stick out as your statement piece by pairing it with solid colors. Go for bright colors for a summer look. Pair with colored or neon jeans and a white t-shirt for a casual chic look. Also goes great with leather pants or shorts for an edgy look.

Accessories and Bags: Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or zig-zag stripes work great on all bags and accessories in any color. However, when wearing on bags, hats, or scarfs make this the only big statement piece. While stripes are great to play with, wearing more than one piece at a time can be an over load.

Coloring:Stripes work great when paired with another great trend this season like Black & White, but colors work great for this look as well. Neon colors which are so hot this spring/summer, pastels like baby pink and blue are cute too, and metallic colors in gold, silver, and bronze all work great with this trend!